The European Constitution

[Olivier]

Nice to see that politics lives again. That is one thing we have achieved here in the Netherlands.

I voted no, while my husband voted yes. In discussing why, we got into a real old fashion political discussion. Which is nice!

I agree with you, Noogie.

So, why could not we enlarge this statement to all Europe?
The Spaniards, the Dutch and the French voted on the same text. Why could all the European electors vote on this text, the same day, after a european campaign leaded by the euro MP's or Commissionners?

We have to disconnect the national debates with the european debate, especially in France.

I would have prefered a european referendum.

[Olivier]

About the selling of the guilder, some insiders say we sold the guilder too
cheap, while others say we didn't. I am an outsider, so I don't know if we
sold the guilder too cheap or not. Many people think that things became
more expensive because we sold the guilder too cheap, but the role of the
euro was a small one.

I don't understand this debate... Now, the Dutch earn and spend euros...
The value of the guilder was decided by the dutch central bank in december 1998, wasn't it?

The EU has to defend us against terrorism. We pay to defend
ourselves, and not to attack other countries. Each individual country can't
effectively defend itself against terrorism, but together they can.

Right!!

I wonder what the people in Luxemburg will vote in July...

[daniellez]

I don't understand this debate... Now, the Dutch earn and spend euros...
The value of the guilder was decided by the dutch central bank in december 1998, wasn't it?

I'll try and give a short explanation about what it is about. Recently a Dutch minister admitted that when Holland accepted the euro and put away the guilder, the value of the guilder was linked to the value of the German mark. However, it later turned out to be the case that the guilder was indeed stronger than the mark at the time the euro was introduced, and so the conclusion was that the guilder might have been sold too cheap. I therefore proposed that this sort of trouble coming out of Europe might have caused a number of Dutch voters to vote against the constitution.

[Olivier]

the guilder might have been sold too cheap. I therefore proposed that this sort of trouble coming out of Europe might have caused a number of Dutch voters to vote against the constitution.

"might", so it's not sure...
I don't understand this debate, 6 years after the birth of the euro!

[daniellez]

"might", so it's not sure...
I don't understand this debate, 6 years after the birth of the euro!

The "might" was inserted by myself because I'm not an insider in either Dutch politics or the Dutch banking world. And OK, the Euro was born quite some years ago, but this came out shortly before the elections. Therefore I proposed it might have been a factor in voting "no" for some people. The debate about selling the guilder too cheap just got actived again!

[MacLord]

sorry but my vote is against.

Every country has the right to presereve their culture, rules, traditions against globalization.
It seems to me that nobody has the right to impose rules withou know if the rules are in tuning on every country.

[tabbs]

Every country has the right to presereve their culture, rules, traditions against globalization.

In which way would the Constitutional Treaty (which in the proposed version is dead anyway) have affected your culture differently from the way that the EC and EU Treaties affect your culture? Or would you rather see your country outside the European Union anyway, which is about the only way to not be directly involved?

Christian

[ART]

Every country has the right to presereve their culture, rules, traditions against globalization.

This is an absurd motivation...
UE and the process of globalization are two totally various things. UE doesn't represent a threat to culture, rules and traditions: to have a common currency and in future even a federal government and united armed forces doesn't "cancel" linguistic differences and traditions of the peoples.

[tabbs]

The Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel just said in an interview that the discussion about a constitution should start again. (Austria currently has the European Union presidency.) Both Schüssel and vice chancellor Hubert Gorbach suggest, however, to not simply push the current text through.

http://www.rp-online.de/public/article/ ... tik/170365
(Text in German)

Schüssel said that a new constitution would be better than the "conglomerate of many texts that we currently have". According to Gorbach, parts of the version that the Dutch and French voted against should certainly be kept, such as the stronger role of the European Parliament.

Christian

[[Day-Walker]]

Information about the Constitution

http://europa.eu.int/constitution/index_en.htm

Summary of the Constitution (pdf file)

[Dakkus]

Actually this might be a bit better link, because it allows everyone to read the text in their own languages: http://europa.eu.int/constitution

[starcapitan]

I am in favour of the European Costitution , I think it will help a lot in the process of integration of all the EU states .
But looking from Italy we are far away from ratify that ; I think,maybe I am wrong,that in Italy Parliament has to do that
I don't know which are going to be the next steps of the European Commission to promote in the EU states the Costitution

Dakkus :Actually this might be a bit better link, because it allows everyone to read the text in their own languages: http://europa.eu.int/constitution
When I click on that link it gives me "impossible to view the page",please help me 'cause I'd like to see the text in italian.
ciao,andrea

30/10/2007
About the European Constitution it all changed.
See http://www.consilium.europa.eu IGC (CIG) IGC ( CIG ) 2007 and Draft Reform Treaty or 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11 for better informaion.
Further on I will set it better